Combined dust-pan and broom-holder.



PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

T. P. FULLER. COMBINED DUST PAN AND BROOM HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I 1903.

UNITED STATES Patented May 17, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

COMBINED DUST-PAN AND BROOM-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 760,391, dated May 171904.

Application filed May 1, 1903.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, THoMAs P. FULLER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at South Glens Falls, in thecounty of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in a Combined Dust- Pan and Broom-Holder. of whichthe follow ing is a specification.

- This invention relates to an improvement in a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder; and

movable back a combined foot-piece and suspension device adapted to beprojected beyond the front edge of the pan and folded down fiat upon thebottom thereof when it is desired to suspend the utensil with the broomtherein and the movements of which act to simultaneously open or closethe back of the pan.

This invention consists in the construction, combination, and operativeaggroupment of the parts, all as will be more fully describedhereinafter, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the utensil with thebroom held there- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the pan, show- 7 1n. ingin full lines the position of the suspension device and foot-piece whenthe utensil is used as a dust-pan and in dotted lines when it is used asa suspension device. Fig. 3 is a persuspension device 5.

Serial No. 155,138. (No model.)

I is so employed. Fig. 5 is a detail in longitudinal section showing thejointed connection of the back with the pan.

' In the drawings similar reference notations eral illustrations, andreference being made thereto, 1. designates the body portion orreceptacle of the dust-pan, which is made of any suitablematerial,preferably sheet metal. The side edges of this receptacle 1 arebent upwardly and inwardly to,form side flanges 2, which have theirlower ends turned farther inward than their upper ends to form ascoopshaped receptacle which tapers from its top to its bottom and whichcorresponds in shape to the broom-head, which is adapted to be heldtherein when the device is suspended as a broom-holder, as shown inFig. 1. By bend ing the sides in the manner described the sweepings areprevented from falling over the sides of the receptacle and may bedischarged therefrom through the back or lower contracted end, whichserves as a funnel. and thereby prevents the sweepings from scatteringwhen they are discharged from the pan.

Upon the bottom of the pan is suitably secured, as by a rivet 3, a stripof metal l, having its longitudinal edges bent to form hollow guidewaysfor the combined foot-piece and The combined footpiece and suspensiondevice consists of a re silient member formed with a loop 6 at its upper end and a contracted neck portion 7 at a point substantiallyintermediate the said looped end and the free diverging arms 8. Each armof this resilient member is slidably mounted in the guide-plate 4C, andwhen it is projected forwardly beyond the front edge of the dust-pan, asshown in Fig. i, the contracted neck portion 7 is in engagement with theguide, and when in this position the utensil may be suspended with thebroom thereon, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the utensil is employed as a dust-pan, the rear end thereof isclosed by a suitable back piece 11, which is hinged to the pan in apeculiar manner, so that a close fit is eflected between the rear edgeof the pan and the back piece and the opening and closing of the latterindicate the similar parts appearing in the sevbeing controlled by themovements of the combined foot-piece and suspension device. Theseresults are accomplished by the novel con-. struction and operativeaggroupment of parts, as follows: Secured to the bottom of the pan, nearthe rear edge thereof, are a pair of bracket members 9, each of whichhas an offset extension 9, provided with an aperture 9 The offsetextension is disposed parallel with and adjacent the rear edge of pan,so as to leave a space or recess 9 therebetween to permit free movementof an inwardly-semicircular bent portion 12 of a connecting element 12.This connecting element comprises a U- shaped rod, the ends of which areextended along the outer side of the back piece and let into aperturestherein and are then clenched back upon the inner side thereof, as at 12in Fig. 5. The semicircular bent portions extend inwardly beneath thebottom of the pan and have a sliding pivotal engagement in the apertures9 of the bracket, and the crown or bridge portion 10 of the U-shaped rodpro,- vides a support for pan when the rear end thereof is closed by theback piece. At the corners of the U-shaped rod are formed reentrantportions 13, with which the ends of the arms 8 have a pivotal engagementand by means of which the ends of the arms are prevented from springingtoward each other on the crown ortion 10. The inwardly-springingtendency of the arms 8, above mentioned, is due to the action of thelooped end of the suspension device in its guide-plate when the saidsuspension device is drawn rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3'of the drawings. In such position the arms of the loop are bound in theguide-plate, and the space between the arms is slightly decreased, thusproviding a frictional lock for the suspension device and foot-piecewhen the utensil is employed as a dust-pan, and thereby preventing thepivoted back piece from being accidentally displaced.

From the description thus far given it will be perceived that the loopedmember 5 may be projected beyond the front edge of the pan to serve as asuspension device when it is employed as a broom-holder and that uponmoving the suspension device to this position the back is tilted andbrought to a position substantially in the same plane with the bottom ofthe pan, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 5, thereby permittingthe broom, which is designated byA in Fig. 1, to lie fiat against thewall or other support. V hen, however, the suspension device is drawnrearwardly to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the back 11and the supporting member 10 are brought to an upright position, and thepan may, with the foot projected beneath the bottom of the pan andbetween the vertical arms of the supporting member 10, be movedrearwardly or around to any position, and by pressing down with the footupon the arms 8 the front edge of thepan will be held in close con tactwith the floor.

By employing the novel jointed construction for the back piece thelatter when elevated is brought into close contact with the rear edge ofthe pan, and when the broom is suspended therein the strain is confinedto and around the bent portion 12 and not on the back piece.

I contemplate making the pan in different sizes, and thus asmall sizeadapted for a whisk may serve as a crum-tray, and under the terms of theinvention as herein set forth there may be a considerable latitude ofmodification or change in minor details without departing from theessential characteristics of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a

combined dust-pan and broom-holder comprising a receptacle, a combinedfoot-piece and suspension device adjustably secured to the pan andadapted to be projected beyond the front edge thereof, and a backpivoted to the pan and adapted to be controlled by the movements of thecombined foot-piece and suspension device.

' 2. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder comprising a receptacle, a back hinged at its bottom to thereceptacle, and a support secured to the back and projected at thehinged edge thereof to engage the floor and elevate the rear end of thepan when the back is closed, said support being movable with the back tolie in a plane substantially parallel with the pan when the back is openand the utensil is employed as a broom-holder.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder comprising a receptacle, a support having a sliding pivotalconnection with the pan, and a back carried by said support to close therear end of the pan, said back and support capable of being moved to liein a plane substantially parallel with the bottom of the pan. 7

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a dust-pan having a hingedback, a support secured to the back, and a foot-piece pivoted to thesupport at one end and slidably mounted on the dust-pan at its otherend.

5. As an improved article of manufacture, a dust-pan having a hingedback, a support secured to the back, a foot-piece pivoted at one end tothe support and adjustably secured at its other end to the pan, andmeans to bind the foot-piece to the pan to lock the back in position.

6. As an improved article of manufacture, a dust-pan having a hingedback, a support secured to said back to elevate the rear end of the pan,and a suspension device adjustably mounted on the pan and pivotallyconnected with the support.

7 As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder comprising a receptacle having a combined foot-piece andsuspension device slidabl y mounted thereon and adapted to be projectedbeyond the front edge thereof, a back piece hinged to the rear endof-the pan and having a support secured thereto, and means for openingor closing the rear end of the pan by the movement of the combinedfoot-piece and suspension device.

8. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder comprising a receptacle having a pivoted back piece, asupport secured to said back piece, a member slidably mounted on the panand pivoted at one end to the support and having its other end formed toconstitute a suspension device.

9. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder compris ing a receptacle, a guide-plate on the back of thereceptacle, a sliding member'in the guideplate arranged to be projectedbeyond the front edge of the receptacle to provide asuspension device, aback pivoted to the rear end of the pan and having a pivotal connectionwith the suspension device.

10. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder, comprising a receptacle having a hinged back, a supportingmember secured to the back, a guide-plate on the pan, a combinedsuspension device and foot-piece slidably mounted in the guide-plate andhaving a pivotal connection with the supporting member, and means formedin the suspension device to bind it in the guide-plate and lock the backin a closed position.

11. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder con1 prising a receptacle having a back piece hingedthereto, a supporting member secured to the back piece, a guide-plate onthe pan, a combined suspension device and foot-piece having a loopedportion slidably mounted in the guide1: late and having diverging armspivoted to the supporting member and a con tracted neck portion adaptedto be engaged in the guide-plate when the utensil is employed as abroom-holder, and means whereby the looped portion may be frictionallybound in the guide-plates when the utensil is employed as a dust-pan.

12. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined dust-pan andbroom-holder comprising a receptacle having a back adapted to close therear end thereof, means for jointedly connecting the back to the pancomprising a bracket member secured to the pan and having an offsetextension provided with an aperture, a connecting element secured to theback and having a bent portion extending through the aperture, and asuspension device pivotally connected with the connecting element andslidably connected with the pan, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS P. FULLER. Witnesses W. .D. EDDY, J. (J. AUSTIN.

